Three Migrant Workers Dove Into Qingdao’s Typhoon-Induced Waves To Save A Drowning Tourist

A tourist in Qingdao nearly lost her life last Thursday when she crept a bit too close to the seashore to take pictures and ended up getting swept away by powerful waves. Very luckily for her, three migrant workers dove in after her when no one else dared to.

The dramatic rescue was caught on film by Liu Duo, who told a TV station (video embedded after the jump) that several people on shore saw the woman in trouble but no one thought they could beat the waves.

No one, of course, except the three who did, at great risk to themselves. According to CCTV:

Faced with rough waves and unable to gain balance in the water, the three managed to surround the woman before taking her ashore beset by strong tides. She was reported to have been unconscious and weak upon being rescued.

One of the heroes Yang Luxing said he was completely exhausted afterward and feeling sick after swallowing seawater.

The woman was part of a tour group that was reportedly waiting to see Typhoon Damrey, which had been expected to hit later that day. She was pulled out of the water unconscious, but at the time of the story’s airing, she was doing just fine.

Surnamed Ma, she is an editor at a media company in Beijing. At the end of the newscast, she enthusiastically thanks one of her rescuers on the phone, and promises to return to Qingdao to find them.

Youku video of the above:

Newscast (for those in China, click on the link above the jump to watch):